Machine for husking corn



ALIA.

UNITED stares @Param ormoni.

EZRA S. HOLMES, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR HUSKING CORN.

Specification `of Letters Patent No. 16,633, dated February 10, 1857.

To aZZ whom it may connern Be itknown thatl I, EzRa SPRAGUE HOLMES, of Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Husking Corn, known as E. S. Holmes Automaton Corn-Husker and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a part of the partition and one of the cross beams, showing the rear or crank side of the same, and a det-ail drawing of the shears, which cut the ear of corn from the stalk. Fig. 3 is a plan of the guides, which open and shut the hands, and Fig. 4 an elevation of the hands that tear off the husks from the corn, similar letters referring to the same parts in the dierent ligures, whichI will now more particularly describe.

A, is the balance or iiy wheel, to an arm of which is attached the handle, ZL.

n, is a crank connected with the treadle, T, by a shaft not shown in the drawing.

m, m, m, is a compound crank. Z, Z, Z, Z, are the arms, to the lower ends of which are attached the hands. Z, Z, are the elbows of the arms. 1', 1, are the shafts fastened to the compound crank by straps (Z, (Z, and to the arms by the sleeves 0, 0.

I, I, are ways in which the slides V, V, traverse. There are similar slides in the ways J, J.

K, K, are slits in which the arms play.

B, is the circular blade of the shears.

C, C, are the guides plates, and s, s, s,

g, p', are the guides. z the hands.

D, D, D, D, is the frame of the machine; F, the partition; E, the guard, in which is a notch, E, where the ears of corn are pre sented to the hands to be husked.

Fig. V2: B is the hole through which the ears of corn pass after the husks are stripped off, also seen at B, Fig. 1, and which forms the circular blade of the shears; K', the movable blade or knife, u the cam attached to the shaft of the compound crank which shuts the shears, and t the spring which opens them. F, is the crank or rear side of the partition F, Fig. l, showing the shears, B, K; 4, a part of the beam 4, Fig. 1, and

, a, are parts of 3 the shaft of compound crank m, m, m, showing the attachment 0f the cam u.

Fig. 3: C is the plate, also seen in position at O, Fig. 1, to which are fastened the guides, s, s, s, s, g, p, which guides assist the springs in opening and shutting the hands. s', s, are spring ends of the guides s s, and is the stop to the palm guide p.

Fig. 4: Z is a portion of the arm, also shown at Z, Fig. 1, to which is attached the knuckle f; e, e, the springs that close the hands; b, Z), pins connecting the parts of the hands; 2, s, the spring-Shanks of the lingers; e', e', the fingers, and a, s, the handplates, parts of which are seen in position at e, e, Fig. l. i, z', are screws and blocks that connect the fingers to the hand; a, is the palm; 1, a spiral spring; P, is a pin passing through the shaft of the palm into the guide p, Figs. l and 3. Said shaft of palm plays freely through the knuckle g, g, are points that slide upon the guides s, s, s, s, g, g, Figs. 1 and 3.

This machine may be made of any suitable material to answer the purpose herein described, as wood, iron and steel. The balance wheel should be quite large and heavy, to give steadiness and momentum. The shears are here represented on the crank side of the partition, but it will b e better to place the cutting apparatus neXt to t-he hands and as near them as possible. The slides V, V, should be long, and the sleeves, 0, 0, should fit snugly to prevent the hands from vascillating. I use three fingers to each hand-two on one side and one on the other-but such number can be applied as may be considered expedient.

This corn-husker may be operated by one person communicating motion by his foot on the treadle, at the same time feeding` in the corn. But it will frequently be advisable to have a second person labor at the handle in the balance wheel or an equivalentl crank, or motion may be applied by horse, steam, wind, or other power, by throwing a belt from a drum around the iiy-wheel, A, turning it either way, as may be most convenient.

At each revolution the hands are made to approach each other and separate again. As the hands pass back from the center of the machine or notch, E, the points g, g, Fig. 4, being thrown out against the guides s, s, Figs. l and 3, by the springs at e, e, Fig. 4, pass back between the guides s and g, by

which the hands are kept closed until they reach the angle of guides s, s, at g', Figs. l and 3, when the points g, g, are forced toward each other, which opens the opposite fingers. The spring guides s', s', permit said points g, g, to pass on to the outside of guides, s, s, thus keeping the hands opened till they meet again at B, E, Fig. l, when the points g, g, are made to drop off of the ends of guides s, s, by the springs at e, e, which causes the hands to close again. The guides g, g, assist the springs e, e, to close the hands and keep them closed till the points again reach the angle of g and s. Before the hands meet, the pin 79, Fig. 4, hits the stop, in the guide p, Figs. l and 3, which stops the palm, a, Fig. 4, and gives the fingers room to close. As the hands pass back, the spiral spring, y, presses the palm against the fingers, thus firmly grasping the husks and tearing them from the corn. The fingers z, z, are enabled to accommodate themselves to inequalities in the size of ears of cornv by their spring Shanks, z, e. The knife or blade of shears, K', is shut down upon the circular blade, B, by the cam, u, just after the stem of the ear is thrown between them, by the hands pulling out upon the husks. The spring, t, opens the shears, see Fig. 2.

The corn is fed into this husker by placing the tops of the ears in the circular blade of the shears at, B, and the butt end in the notch of the guard at, E, so that when the hands come together all the fingers will close upon the ear in the same line, both on the upper and under side of it. Thus each hand passing back will tear off' one half of the husks, in which act the stein will be thrown forward between the blades of the shears and cut off, when the hands and shears open immediately ready for another ear.

In order to explain more clearly how the' corn is passed through the hole, B, so as to present the stem between the blades of the shears, B, K, I will state that the hands take hold of the husks near the top of the earsthe other end of the husks being naturally attached to the stem, beyond the butt of the ear-and separate in a line at right-angles to the ears of corn, so that they will necessarily draw the stem to which the other end of the husks are fastened, into the line of draft between the two hands, which will throw the ear through the hole B. If from any cause an ear should fail to go through far enough, the feeder, having hold of the stalk, can readily adjust it as required.

I do not claim the motive parts of this machine, nor the compound crank, nor the ways, slides, and arms, nor the shears, for they have been used before; but

IVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent arel. The huskers, consisting of the guides, s, y', g, s s, p, shown in Fig. 3, and of the hands, a, f, g, z, z, s', c, shown in Fig. 4, or their equivalents, operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

2. I also claim the combination of the huskers, Figs. 3 and 4, with the shears, Fig. 2, said combination acting in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

EZRA SPRAGUE HOLMES. Vtnesses:

THos. T. FLAGLER, H. C. PoMRoY. 

